“Not going to slate him” - Jacob Smith explains why Rodtang deserves all the praise he gets ahead of ONE 169 rematch
British standout Jacob Smith believes Rodtang deserves every bit of praise that comes his way.
After going toe-to-toe with 'The Iron Man' in his ONE Championship debut two years ago, Smith will have to chance to once again challenge the reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion. The two will tussle at ONE 169: Atlanta on Friday, November 8 when the promotion makes its debut inside State Farm Arena.
Speaking with Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Smith showed nothing but respect for Rodtang and his impressive reign over the flyweight division.
"I respect what he’s done. And I’m not going to slate him. At the end of the day, he’s been the king of the division pretty much from the start. Or since Sam-A and then Haggerty and then Rodtang."
Since his loss to 'The Iron Man' at ONE 157, Smith scored a highlight-reel knockout against Walter Goncalves at ONE Fight Night 17, followed by an impressive three-round war with 'The Bosnian Menace' Denis Puric in April.
Jacob Smith confident he has the recipe to hand Rodtang a defeat in their ONE 169: Atlanta rematch
After getting bloodied and battered by 'The Iron Man' for three rounds in their first meeting, Smith feels confident in his ability to craft a game plan that can shock the world in their sequel scrap this fall.
"I'm a lot more well-rounded. So, he'll feel a lot more of my power this time 'cause I'm going to be in better positions now. I understand how good he is now. So my calculations are gonna be different too now."
Overall, the third-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender has 16 career wins and is a former British world champion in the art of eight limbs.
Will Smith add 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold to his resume at ONE 169: Atlanta, or will Rodtang deliver another dominant performance against the 32-year-old scrapper?
Tickets for ONE 169: Atlanta on November 8 at State Farm Arena can be purchased via Ticketmaster.